Kamado Joe Big Joe II vs Primo Oval XL 400 All-In-One
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Quick take: The Primo Oval XL 400 All-In-One costs $1 less; the Kamado Joe Big Joe II offers more cooking space (450 vs 400 sq in); the Primo Oval XL 400 All-In-One reaches a higher max temp (850 vs 750°F).
| Spec | Kamado Joe Big Joe II | Primo Oval XL 400 All-In-One |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$2,300 | ~$2,299 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Kamado | Kamado |
| Cooking Area | 450 sq in | 400 sq in |
| Max Temp | 750°F | 850°F |
| Fuel Type | Charcoal | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Ceramic | Ceramic |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 53.5 x 58.3 in | Oval, 400 sq in primary grate |
| Weight | 407 lbs | 250 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty | 20-year limited warranty on ceramic components |
Pros & cons
Kamado Joe Big Joe II
- ✓450 sq in is 80% more grate than the Classic Joe II for roughly $800 more
- ✓The 24-inch grid takes two full packer briskets side by side without diagonal loading
- ✓Kontrol Tower vent and Air Lift hinge carried over from Series II — the hinge matters far more on a dome this heavy
- ✓407 lbs of ceramic holds an overnight low-and-slow with very little fire management
- ✓$1,000 less than the Big Joe III while keeping the same body, grid and warranty
- ✗407 lbs needs a solid pad and is a genuine two-or-three-person job to position
- ✗Two-tier Divide & Conquer only; the third tier that makes the big grid fully usable is a Series III feature
- ✗58 inches wide with shelves out, which is more patio than many buyers expect
- ✗Heating this much ceramic burns a lot of lump for a small cook, so it is wasteful as an everyday grill
Primo Oval XL 400 All-In-One
- ✓The oval firebox with its divider gives a genuine side-by-side hot and cool zone, which round kamados cannot replicate
- ✓Made in Georgia — the only major ceramic kamado not imported
- ✓151-850°F is a wider published range than Big Green Egg's 200-750 or Kamado Joe's 225-750
- ✓All-In-One ships with the cradle, shelves, heat deflectors and divider, so nothing else is needed to start cooking
- ✓One of the tallest domes in the category, which lets whole birds stand vertically
- ✗Sold only through dealers; Primo publishes no price on its own site, so street price varies by region
- ✗$2,299 puts it against a Big Joe II and above a Big Green Egg Large with change to spare
- ✗The oval shape is off-standard, so third-party kamado accessories mostly do not fit
- ✗250 lbs and no factory ceramic-only option below this size in the oval XL body
- ✗Primo's own product page omits price, dimensions and warranty terms, which makes comparison shopping harder than it should be